Holiday Hacks: Planning for Japan

Hello buns!

Welcome back to another Japan based blog. In the previous Japan blog, I wrote about planning your holiday to Japan. In this one, I will be giving you some tips about what to expect from your trip to Japan, a little of the culture and some things you should be aware of. If you want to know of some things you can expect to see before going, and if there are any cultural dos and don'ts you want to forewarn yourself with before departing, read on!

Happy reading!
Keri AKA Ichigo Bunny xoxo

What to expect from Japan

Japan is a wonderful country, filled with culture and beautiful sights. Amazing food, majestic temples, wonderful shrines, jaw-dropping sights, pop culture - there are many reasons to visit Japan. But if you have never been and have no one to ask about what you should expect from your holiday, it can be hard to know what to pack and how to prepare yourself. Here, I have written a few tips that should help you prepare for an adventure in a beautiful country.

Packing for your holiday

Not sure what to pack for your holiday? I wasn't sure when I first visited Japan! Here, I have listed some things that you will need while you are on your trip. Please not that I haven't mentioned passports and toiletries as I feel mentioning these is a little unnecessary.

Travel adapter plug-
While many hotels will have USB chargers, some won't. The first hotel I stayed in didn't have one! If you are someone who carries electric items such as camera battery packs, hair straighteners etc, a travel adapter will be handy. It's also great in case all of the USB ports are in use.
Portable charger/power bank-
I had previously bought one of these as my phone battery is AWFUL, and decided to pack it for Japan as I didn't want my phone to lose battery during a day out. It turned out this was incredibly helpful! If you buy one that is pretty strong it will be able to charge your pocket wi-fi, should it run out of battery. This is comforting to know when you are travelling between destinations!
Easy to slip off and comfy shoes-
Some restaurants require you to take off your shoes, and some animal cafes also require this as well. When visiting temples and shrines there will be areas that you will not be allowed to go in unless you take off your shoes. For this, I recommend packing comfy shoes that you can take on and off easily. You might end up doing an incredible amount of walking during your stay, so I would advise not bringing shoes that you haven't worn before.
Clothes that can be layered-
As much as you check out the weather in advance, it can change so quickly! To avoid taking up valuable space in your suitcase, try packing clothes that you can layer up or down to go with the weather. I packed one big sweater and one cardigan for when I visited in the autumn and in the spring, two pairs of shorts and one dungaree dress that I would wear t-shirts and jumpers underneath.
Rail pass ticket-
I know I said that I wouldn't mention stupid things, but this could be easy to forget as it's not something that you usually pack! You can no longer buy a JR pass at the airport, so it is vital that you pack this otherwise you can be paying out a lot for train fare!
Split your cash and pack some into your hand luggage-
Split your cash and pack half or whatever you feel is suitable into your hand luggage. You don't want to pack all of your money into your suitcase and then potentially lose your suitcase. Remember that Japan is largely a cash based society and not many places will take card, especially small shops and food stalls.
Print off any hotel, cafe and ticket bookings-
I have mentioned this in a previous blog (that you can read here) but I think this is really important to have in your hand luggage! Print off your bookings in both Japanese and English so you can have a copy you can read and a copy for a Japanese person to read in case you are in need of help, like trying to find your hotel. At the airport you are going to need some details to hand to fill in on some forms so you will thank yourself for taking the time to do this in advance.

I've covered things that I have learnt from my own trips to Japan, but I have listed some websites at the end of this blog as I haven't mentioned some things that I don't know about/have no experience of, but you might need to know.

When arriving at the airport

When I arrived at Narita airport for the very first time I felt somewhat overwhelmed! Here are some little tippets of information that might ease some of the stress of moving on towards your destination.

Buy cigarettes in the airport-
I had and still have no idea how to go about getting cigarettes in Japan. I'm sure it is relatively easy, but I wasn't brave enough to try! When I landed in Narita I bought some in the duty free shop before heading through to passport control, and this saved so much stress. If you can do it, I would advise it! Plus by browsing the shop quickly you can avoid the queue for passport control and wait for it to quieten down a little.
Taxi's are hecking expensive-
So unless you are hella rich you should try to avoid paying for taxi's, especially if you are going a long way. Taxi's in Japan are even more expensive than they are here in the U.K. Don't worry, there are other ways of getting to your hotel!
Narita and Haneda have transport available-
From these airports you are able to catch trains, or board free buses to your area (at least within Tokyo). This is great if you are planning on staying within Tokyo and have only bought a suica card, as it will help you save money on a train ticket!
Trains are in Japanese and English-
So don't fret about trying to work out how to board your train. There are also conductor and rail employees that will be able to help you find your train. Everyone is really helpful, so please don't be afraid to ask.
Staying in Narita?-
Get your rail pass the next day. Honestly. Get the free bus to your hotel, enjoy your evening, find out what time the buses back to the airport are and get your pass the next day. If you are unable to get to the airport until late the next day, spend your day exploring the local shrine and temples. Trust me, it's completely worth it.

Helpful Tips

There were so many things that I wished I had heard of and had known before I visited Japan for the first time. Some of these tips you may have read before online or seen in a video on YouTube, some of these I have repeated in this blog and in others. If it is something that you have seen repeated a lot, consider it to be somewhat important and try to remember it.

Save your hotels/cafes/shops/areas you want to visit on Google maps-
What. A. Lifesaver. When I first visited Japan I was with my mum and we were travelling to a few areas, and decided to save our hotel locations before we left. This was a genius idea. It meant that instead of waiting until we got to that area to try and find it, we could click on it and find our way there hassle free. If you save temples and shrines you want to see, you can pop maps up at any point and see if any of them are near you.
Try to avoid tourist areas on weekends-
Some areas are relatively quiet to visit during the week, but then crazy busy at the weekends. Take Harajuku for example - it's not worth even attempting to go there during the weekend! If you can, visit some major tourists area during the weeks when it will be a little less hectic.
Try not to use public transport during rush hour-
Especially if you have your luggage with you. It's not fun when you have a small bag. 0/10, do not recommend.
Trains run until pretty late-
Until roughly midnight, and start again in the early hours of the morning. Don't forget to check your train times to get back if you don't fancy pulling an all nighter.
Carrying cash and bigger notes-
I know I have already mentioned this, but I cannot stress the importance of carrying cash. Small shops and food stall (at least the ones I encountered) didn't take card. They also don't take big notes, so save your change and smaller notes for them. Bigger shops or chains will be more than happy to take your bigger notes off you, so it may be worth taking advantage of this.
ATMS-
In case you do run out of cash, you will be able to withdraw money at 7-eleven, Lawson and Family Mart. You might charged from your bank for doing so, and it can be costly.
Buy food from convenience stores-
And save yourself some money. You can get salads, sandwiches, onigiri's, tasty salads, bakery goods, snack items, as well as different drinks and they are all at a good price. I saved myself a lot of money by buying food to snack on while out and about. Plus it's good fun to have a nose at the food and to try something new.
Use a converter app-
Or keep open a page on Google with a currency converter on it. I found this helped out so much! Sometimes items will seem really expensive but after typing in the amount it cost in yen, the item is actually cheaper than it looked! I really enjoyed finding out how much I had spent and trying to guess how much it was in pounds.
Carry your passport at all times-
Some shops will offer you a discount if you have your passport on you once you have spent a certain amount of money, and some shops are tax free for tourists. This is because of how tax works in Japan, so make sure that you always carry your passport! I tend to carry mine as a precaution in case there's some sort of emergency.
Not all toilets are Western toilets-
So be prepared to come across traditional Japanese toilets which are squat toilets. If you don't feel comfortable enough to use one of these, let the person waiting behind you go into it by saying "domo." 9 times out of 10 they will be thankful for you offering! Some shrines will only have these traditional toilets so don't be surprised if you can't find any Western toilets.
Not all toilets/bathrooms have a hand dryer-
And some won't even have a sink area. Always carry hand gel, tissues or a small hand towel in case you come across one of these bathrooms. It saves having to try and dry your hands on your clothes!
Want to buy gifts for people?-
Check out ¥100 stores, or try to find a Daiso or Don Quijote. You will be able to find so many gifts to take home that are reasonably priced. They will sell pretty much anything you can think of! You can also pick up some pretty good snacks there, including flavoured Kit-Kats! I have included a video below that I found on YouTube about where to buy souvenirs. I think this video will be great to watch as it included places that I didn't think to go to for buying gifts. One place included in this video is a shop called "Happy One" which I have bought gifts from and the people running the shop were polite and friendly. I bought my gifts from this store, Daiso and Don Quijote.
Buying postcards?-
You'll be able to find them at Daiso and Don Quijote stores, post offices, in areas such as Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building, or in shops near tourist spots. I think I found my postcard to send home in a tourist shop near Fushimi Inari in Kyoto.
Have a nose around everywhere-
You never know what amazing things you might find. I found most of my favourite places to eat and drink by wandering. If you are really lucky you will find a shrine or temple, or the perfect spot to get that Instagram shot.
Learn some basic words-
Learning some basic vocab will be helpful. I have written a mini blog on the easiest sayings to get you through your adventure, which you can find here.

Do's and Don'ts

Japan is a country whose culture means a lot to them, so as a tourist, it is vital that you acknowledge, understand and respect that. Here I have listed some do's and don'ts that are pretty important. If you ever get stuck and are not sure what to do, have a look around at what other people are doing to try and gauge what is acceptable.

Don't smoke in streets-
There are designated smoking areas in most areas. You can smoke inside most bars and restaurants, and many hotels will have a smoking room. If a bar has an outside area you can smoke there as well, it's just in the streets that you can't. Also, don't smoke on temple grounds or at shrines. These are sacred places of worship to people.
No eating or drinking and walking at the same time-
You will rarely see anyone walking and eating at the same time, and if you see anyone walking and drinking, it will most likely be coffee which is considered okay. People don't tend to eat on the streets to help keep it tidy but if you visit a party area (like Shinjuku) at night you'll find that this is not the case! Many people often eat outside a convenience store or where there is a bin so they can dispose of their rubbish straight away.
There aren't many bins-
So carry a bag that you can place your rubbish inside until you find one. Bins can be few and far apart, so hold onto your rubbish until you find one.
No blowing noses in public-
Or so you might have heard. It's considered offensive to blow your nose, but apparently it isn't? I can't seem to find a definite answer as to whether this is rude or not, so I have included a guide to blowing your nose in public below. Be prepared to hear an awful amount of sniffing on the trains.
Join queues for trains-
At each station you'll see little white footprints painted at various intervals along the platform. This is your guide to where you need to queue for the next train. People will form orderly lines from this point, so you should join the queue and wait patiently. I personally loved this as it mean that when disembarking a train you weren't fighting through a sea of people trying to get on the train.
No loud talking on trains-
Try to be respectful of other people travelling. People may be travelling to and from work, tired and in need of a little quiet time. Some people may even have a little nap, so try not to disturb anyone.
Some seats are reserved for those who need them-
Like the elderly or pregnant. It is fine to sit in them while the train is empty but if the train is starting to get busy you should get up and offer your seat to someone who may be in need of more than yourself.
Keep your phone on silent-
On trains and when you are visiting shrines and temples. As mentioned above, people might be trying to nap on the trains. Shrines and temples are places of worship, and people will be visiting to pray or for peace. Enjoy, but be quiet, considerate and mindful of others who are not tourists.
No crossing when there is a red man-
This is a big no no in Japan. I can't seem to find the reason for why this is. Should you cross the road before the green man appears, you will be met with the politest of glares for breaking this rule.
No customising food orders-
I have always been told that customising food orders is a no-go, and this is something else that I cannot seem to find answers as to why. But recently I found a blog by TrueJapan.com that explains some restaurants will allow food customisation. I have included this blog below so you can read it for yourself, and it's reassuring that there are places you can customise your orders in, especially if you are a fussy eater.
There are many ways to eat sushi-
And there are ways to find out if you have chosen a good restaurant. There are also rules that you are supposed to follow for ordering sushi. Not sure what types there are, or how to eat them? Feeling a little overwhelmed already? I was when I first started to look into this. I have linked a guide to sushi ordering and eating below, and I promise that this will help you.
Don't leave chopsticks up in rice-
This is done as a part of a funeral tradition, so this will be frowned upon if you do this in a restaurant. There are several other ways that you can insult people with how you use your chopsticks - like rubbing wooden chopsticks together, for instance. There are some things that you may think you can do, but you shouldn't do, like hovering your chopsticks above food as you are deciding what to eat. At the end of this blog I have linked a guide to chopstick etiquette for you to read and it's incredibly helpful.
It's not rude to call staff over-
I know, it's weird. But honestly, if you don't call someone over you can be sat there for a while waiting to order your food or for your bill. The staff don't consider it to be rude, so try not to feel rude when calling them over. In some restaurants a waiter will come over, but be prepared in case this doesn't happen.
Use the money tray-
Every shop, combini and restaurant will have a money tray for you to place your notes and coins in. When paying you'll need to place your money in this tray, and any change you may have will be placed back in this tray and given to you. It took me a while to grasp this concept, but you will soon get used to it! From what I've found in my research, the reason for doing this is that it makes me easier for the cashier to see exactly how much you have given, without any coins potentially getting lost or falling off the counter. Some people may take the money out of your hand, but most will politely point to the money tray.
Bonus tip- If you are struggling with counting out coins, some cashiers may be willing to help you count out your money. This happened to me a lot in smaller shops and I was really thankful for the help!
Don't tip-
Tipping can be considered rude and insulting. If you try to tip at a cafe or restaurant you will be given your money back. It's considered that you will be given the best service you can get and that is just a part of the job, as good customer service is a part of Japanese culture. There is a saying that is "okyaku samawa kami sama desu" and the rough translation is this is "the customer is a god." You'll very rarely receive bad customer service. Some restaurants will charge you an entrance fee, and this can be considered similar to a tip. Below I have listed a link to a blog by SoraNews for more information about tipping.
Bowing is polite-
This is another thing that you may find weird at first, but you'll become so accustomed to it that you won't notice yourself doing this by the end of your trip. You will bow to say hello, as thanks, as an acknowledgement of someone, there are many reasons for bowing in Japan. There is, however, an art to knowing how to bow and how deeply you should bow. I've posted a link below on how to bow, but the most important thing to remember is to keep your back and neck straight when bowing.

And most importantly

Don't do anything in Japan that you wouldn't do in your own country! Japan is known for some crazy tv shows, quirky items and other eccentric things but this doesn't give you a free pass to behave like a complete idiot. An important rule to remember is this - if you wouldn't do it at home, don't do it here. Be polite, be respectful and take care to be considerate of those around you.

Hope you've enjoyed this blog! Have a wonderful adventure, take as many pictures as you can and remember - don't be disrespectful.

Helpful links:

A lot of this blog is based on my own experience of when I first visited Japan, and the research I had done before visiting. I did however do some more research to include in this blog and to educate myself on some things that I still wasn't 100% familiar with, IE chopstick etiquette for example. I used blog posts and YouTube videos for my research before I went, but since doing the research for this post I've found some useful websites and blogs. Please see below links for more helpful information and that I thought were interesting to read.

What to pack for your trip to Japan:

Where to buy souvenirs:

TokyoCreative's guide to buying souvenirs

Dining out guide:

Sushi etiquette:

Wikihow's guide to eating sushi

Chopstick etiquette:

Bowing etiquette:

Bowing in Japan

Shrine etiquette:

A very helpful and easy guide on shrine etiquette

Some interesting reads:

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